The Hottest State

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[Music plays]

William:

Here's how the story was told to me.

I always say

I got things wrong

I waited here

a little too long

[Low conversation]

Hey, hey. What y'all doing?

Say Jesse, how 'bout you talk

Danielle out of being mad at me?

And both of y'all hop in the car

with me and Vince here.

And we can all take

a spin into Dallas?

We got school tomorrow, stupid.

Oh come on, Jesse.

We'll be back before anybody

gets in any real trouble.

Y'all know Vince?

This here is Vince Hardin.

Vince this is Jesse

and that one's Dan.

Dan's a little mad

at me right now.

I'm not mad at you,

John Jaegerman.

I'm just bored with you.

John:

Jesse will you tell Dan

that she's the only girl

I'll ever love.

Danielle:

Jesse will you tell John

to please think about that

the next time

he decides to steal a car?

John:

They didn't even press any charges.

They knew I was just

goofing around.

What about you,

Mr. Vince?

Do you talk?

I know a joke.

Jesse:

Well let's hear it.

Okay.

There's these two monks, alright?

There's like

a regular monk guy.

William:

My mother didn't need to hear the joke.

She was already

dead bull's eye in love.

She listened to the sound

of his voice,

thinking what a good father

he'd make.

And the guy says

"Well, I'm not into fish

but I sure am going to love

working with you f***in' guys.

Come on, Dan,

let's go to Dallas.

Now I'm stuck here -

looking by

Where I lost a friend

Jesse:

It's a nice car.

Vince:

It's just a 'Cuda.

Oh, I have lost my head

Way back

when the world was young

Long before

this song was sung

William:

Three weeks later,

I was conceived

in the back of that Plymouth.

I was thinkin' a lot

about that story.

I wondered if sex

was easier in Texas

than it was in New York.

[Applause]

[Plucking at guitar]

I wondered how my father

a talked to my mother.

I wondered how

other men in general

behaved when they were

alone with women.

No matter

how long it takes

One day

the dam will break

One day

the tears will fall

Just by the waterfall

[Guitar music]

"My heart is gold,

what will you give me for it?"

[Guitar music]

No matter

how long it takes

[Background conversation]

Sarah doesn't think men

have vaginas.

Yeah, well,

I agree with her.

What?

I said, I don't have a vagina.

Yeah, you do.

Hi, I'm William.

I'm an actor.

So I'm totally full of sh*t.

Don't believe a word I say.

I just figured I should

tell you that right off the bat

so you don't

get disappointed later.

Have you ever seen

'Star Trek'?

The original one?

Well, I'm kind of like

Spock in that episode

where he tells the replicants

that everything he says is a lie.

And they go, "If everything

you say is a lie,

then you're lying now,

which means you're telling the truth,

which means you're lying. "

And then smoke

comes out of their ears.

and they malfunction,

and he gets to escape.

See, you just

seem a little stiff to me,

and I'm trying to make sure

you're not a replicant.

Do you speak English?

Yes.

Good. I was worried you

didn't understand a word I said.

Don't worry;

you're not that complicated.

- What?

- You're not that complicated.

Thanks.

Are you nervous?

No, I'm not nervous.

Why would I be nervous?

Okay, I'm nervous all the time.

I don't know why.

Me too.

One day,

the dam will break.

Sarah:

So, you're really an actor?

William:

Yeah.

I've got an audition for the movie

version of Camino Real tomorrow.

You ever read that play?

No.

- Tennessee Williams.

- No.

Me neither.

My lines are good, though.

I read them.

Well, don't you have to read

the whole play?

Yeah, I guess I should, huh.

I tried. It's just really weird.

It's about a bunch of people

unhappy 'cause they're not sure

if they're living

or they're dead.

Why do you

want to be an actor?

I don't, really.

It's the only thing

I've ever really been good at.

I want to be

a singer.

Oh yeah?

You going to be a star?

I want to be a musician.

Okay, that's cool.

I don't want to be famous,

you know.

I like to sing.

I want to do what I love.

Are you any good?

It's not important.

Are you any good?

- I'm great.

- Oh yeah?

Yeah.

I'm tellin' you, there's

nothin' I can do about it.

I'm just great.

Okay, well,

do something for me.

"My heart is gold,

what will you give me for it?"

[Giggling]

What's that?

Tennessee.

I'm just whoever

I pretend to be.

You ever feel like that,

like all you are

is the person you were pretending

to be in high school?

No.

Don't worry,

you are somebody.

If you'd stop pretending,

it'll come out all by itself.

Do you want to get married?

No.

I don't want to be an actor.

It's a little disappointing

when your best quality

is pretending

to be someone else.

I want to be somebody

specific, you know.

I was born in Texas.

But I left there

when I was eight.

Sometimes, I think,

if I had just stayed,

I could be a regular person,

you know.

Billy, the lumber guy,

or whatever.

Instead of running around

with my head cut off.

Why'd you leave Texas?

My mom had wanderlust.

What about your dad?

I don't really know him.

Don't smoke that.

Why not?

Because I'm thinking

about kissing you.

Okay, good to know.

It's good to know.

Sarah:
So you're going to be

a big movie star, huh?

William:

Yeah, it's my destiny.

Sarah:

Oh God, you're unbelievable.

William:

I try to be.

Born yesterday,

but I stayed up all night.

This is my door.

You live here?

Yeah.

Oh sh*t! Really?

That's my window.

My window looks out

on your front door.

Well -

I just got to New York City

tonight.

I'm staying

with a friend.

Come here;

come here, come here.

Do me a favor,

stand right here.

Sarah:

Okay!

- Why?

- Right there, just like that.

That's good,

one second.

I feel weird.

What am I doing here?

What?

[Music plays]

William:

Looking out at what was now her door,

I had the profound feeling

that my life had changed.

And I was right

not in the way I thought.

I hadn't met the woman

I was to grow gray with.

I was twenty years old

and, by the time

I was twenty-one

I'd be heartbroken.

[Music plays]

Sarah:

Hi.

William:
Nice to see you.

What's your name again?

You don't

remember my name?

I'm kidding.

Oh my God,

did I do that?

Yeah.

Are you mad?

No.

Do you do

that all the time?

Do what?

Kiss girls?

Dave:
Hey Sarah, we'll start

in about ten minutes, alright?

Is she okay?

I think southing's wrong

with her microphone.

I'll get it.

William:

Hey Sarah -

that dude said he'd take care

of the microphone business.

- What?

- Come here.

Sarah:

I'm behaving ridiculously.

William:

Yeah, you are.

Sarah:

I'm sorry about the hickey thing.

William:

It' A. O. K.

Sarah:

You should go now.

William:

Okay. Good luck.

Okay.

William:

Just pretend you're someone else.

What?

Think of your favorite singer,

and just start out

by pretending to be her.

The rest'll come easy,

and it'll secretly be you.

Can I borrow

your jacket?

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